Canada to face Morocco in Round of 16 at World Cup

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Canada will face Morocco in the Round of 16 at the World Cup after the North African giants defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in penalty kicks on Monday after the teams were tied 1-1 after 120 minutes in Guadalupe, Mexico.

Cody Gakpo gave the Netherlands a 1-0 lead in the 73rd minute, but Issa Diop tied the match at 1-all one minute into second-half stoppage time. After two scoreless 15-minute halves, the match was decided in penalty kicks.

It will mark the second straight World Cup featuring a showdown between Canada and Morocco.

Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout, and Morocco sent the Netherlands to its earliest World Cup exit.

The Atlas Lions, who entered the tournament ranked seventh in the world, defeated Canada 2-1 in their final group-stage game at the 2022 tournament in Qatar before making a run to the semifinals.

It will only get tougher for the winner of the match Saturday afternoon in Houston, with possible quarterfinal opponents including favourite France.

No. 30 Canada advanced to the game with a 1-0 win over South Africa in a Round of 32 game Sunday in Los Angeles. It was Canada’s first ever appearance in a World Cup knockout game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2026.

The Canadian Press